Expanding Student Access to Mental Health Services Act

This bill aims to help schools expand mental health services for students by letting states and school districts use existing Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants for this purpose. Allowable uses include sharing best practices for mental health first aid, improving emergency planning and response teams, coordinating with local health agencies, and offering telehealth services.

It also updates grant rules so districts explain, when applicable, how they plan to use funds for mental health services, and it allows technology purchases that improve these services. The bill adds an exception so the usual limit on spending for technology infrastructure does not apply when that infrastructure is also used for mental health services.

• Who is affected: State and local education agencies, and students in K–12 schools.
• What changes: More flexible grant use for mental health activities, added planning in applications, and clearer permission to use technology for mental health, with an infrastructure exception tied to mental health use.